Wedding Ring Engraving Ideas and Tips

Engraving is the ultimate way to personalize your wedding ring.

by Jennie Ma

Sarah Kate Photography

The custom of inscribing romantic poetry onto wedding rings began in the courts of medieval Europe. Today, engraving a message on the inside of the shank—even around the perimeter of the stone!—is one of the easiest ways to personalize an engagement ringor your wedding bands.

How to Do It

Make the request to get your ring engraved by yourjeweler when you order the ring. If the jeweler can't do it, he should be able to refer you to an engraver. Be sure to double-check the spelling of the requested inscription before you pass it on to the engraver, and check it again when you receive it.

When to Do It

Engraving can be done as quickly as while you wait, or it can take up to one month. Ask your jeweler how long yours will take and plan ahead.

Unique Ideas

If you can't edit your sentiment down to a mere few words or want to use a stanza from a poem or song, consider engraving your message around the rim of the stone itself. The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) can laser-inscribe a microscopic message or even a graphic. The inscription is invisible to the naked eye and can only be seen with a magnifying glass, so it can be a romantic secret between the two of you. Inscribing a message on your diamond also serves as a foolproof "birthmark" should the stone ever be lost or stolen.

What It Costs

The cost is usually based on the number of characters in the inscription, the font used, and whether it will be engraved by hand or machine. Machine engraving tends to be cheaper, on average $25 for 15 characters, while hand-engraving is usually pricier, at $75 for 8 characters, but adds a special hand-forged feel. The price of the inscription on the actual diamond varies depending on the carat weight of the diamond, but prices start at $15 for graphics or 15 characters.

Words of Engravement

Popular and sentimental wedding ring engraving ideas:

I love you

Our love is eternal

To my soul mate

C.R. to D.L. July 10

Always

Forever

Eternity

C&D forever (use your first initials)

I thee wed

All my love

I marry you

You have my heart

My heart is in your hands

Never to part

To my wife/husband

Soul mates forever

I'm always with you

To have and to hold

Schmoopie (Your private nicknames for each other)

Here is my heart; guard it well!

No one but you

God for me provided thee

God unite both in love

In thy breast my heart doth rest (Old English)

Pour tous jours (For all days, 15th-century French)

Joie sans fin (Joy without end, French)

Mon coeur est a vous (You have my heart, French)

Je t'aime (I love you, French)

Mon amour (My love, French)

Il mio cuore e il tuo per sempre (My heart is yours forever, Italian)

Amore mio (My love, Italian)

Vivo per lei (I live for her, Italian)

Myn genyst (My heart, Old German)

Mizpah (May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent from one another, Hebrew, Genesis 31:49)

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